Thursday, March 28, 2013

a little bit of this and a little bit of that...

yesterday was one of those days. i think the girls totaled 7 different outfits together. it was one thing after another, we waved the white flag around 5 and ate dinner, bagged plans for homemade dessert and went for frozen yogurt (does this sound familiar? we do it at least once a week:). and it only got better from there- it was warm enough to eat it outside on our porch, followed by an hour of playtime with neighbors that included climbing trees and riding bikes. i took my phone out to snap a picture and was shocked to see a little message come up that i had used all the storage in my phone. i pulled up my camera roll and couldn't believe all the little moments and happenings of our daily life that i've been quick enough to snap a picture of (a lot of times those moments are gone before i can even reach for my phone). here is a round up of some of the moments i have captured most of which don't get instagrammed or written about but so want to remember!

our gracie girl

1// when we found out gracie had strep throat last week i figured my day would be filled with cuddles and maybe some calm playtime once the antibiotics kicked in. but true to form, we got home and despite fever and a painful shot in her bum she was running wild. you can't keep a good girl down.

2// we had a picnic at the park the other night at the park next to matthew's elementary school. the second gracie was done eating she was bound and determined to make it to the top of this playground toy (one that i'm still shocked is safe enough for an elementary school!) all by herself. matthew stayed right under her the whole time, she made it to the top and couldn't have been prouder (matthew too). i'm constantly shocked by her determination. and as we sat and listened to matthew share all the details of his childhood mischief, i realized even more that gracie is matthew in miniature girl form.

3// we learned some good lessons this week. when i picked up gracie from school on tuesday, i found a post it note pad and a small toy in her school bag. after asking her where the toys came from, she thought for a minute and said, "don't be disappointed. okay, here it goes. well, actually, i don't want to say the words. can i sing it in a song?" she sang several sweet little songs about finding them and really wanting to bring them home to show maddie. the toy attaches to a faucet to turn it into a drinking fountain- she was just sure that maddie needed to see it! i had a moment of hesitation, but seeing that she asked that i not be disappointed, i knew she knew what she had done was wrong and we what we had to do. we had a long talk about stealing- that even when something seems so amazing, and even if we have plans to return it, we still can't take things. we talked about someone coming to our house and taking a toy and how that would make us feel. she decided we should return them to school, we wrote an apology note together and she signed her name. we went in the next morning and she walked right up to her principal, looked her in the eyes, said sorry and returned the items. i was so proud of her! it's moments like that i'm so grateful for kind people who dedicate their lives to teaching children. she gave gracie a hug and explained why the post it notes were important for school and even said that if gracie wanted to use one to write a note that she would be more than happy to get one for her. we left with a clear conscious and a "happy heart".

4// while i feel that we learned a great lesson about stealing, i don't think we'll ever learn that we can't color on ourselves. she claimed that she just wanted whiskers. every marker has been thrown away. she's just sure the easter bunny will be bringing them to right all my wrongs.

two peas in a pod

1// the gracie and maddie band is quite a treat. with a little creativity, they're able to have at least six instruments playing at once. my personal favorite is the piano/guitar/tamborine/trumpet/flute/cymbal numbers. poor buzz retreats upstairs the second he can sneak away...i'm required to be present for the whole 20 minute set.2// when gracie came down with strep throat the doctor warned us how contagious it is and suggested we try to keep them apart. this is the girls after us suggesting they not touch each other. it worked really well. gracie is the most loving sister to her moo baby.3// all snuggled in their robes after the three of them required two baths in 20 minutes. there was toothpaste and make up and paint involved. 4// their favorite spot to read. they like to put their big floor pillows in the bath and hide out. matthew and i love going in at night and seeing all the toys and treasures they snuck in their throughout the day.

our maddie baby

1// maddie, and her beloved teddy bear, accompanied me to the orthodontist last week. she was on her best behavior- i think she was worried if she misbehaved they'd come over and look in her mouth!

2// out for a walk with buzz, who insisted on riding on her lap. she sat calmly with her arms wrapped around him and patted his back as we went along. her interest in him increases everyday...she stays up after gracie goes to bed and plays catch with him. the belly laughs are incredible. matthew and i just sit and laugh and then she stays up way later than she should. it's almost like she knows what she's doing:)

3// on occasion, i drop gracie off at school and then take maddie to run some errands instead of right home for a nap. target one on one with her is more than entertaining. this week, she sang songs, louder than i have ever heard her (and she's known for her loud voice) and waved at every single person who came by. she made friends with at least four senior citizens, one of which proceeded to grocery shop right next to us the entire time so she could talk to maddie. she managed to sneak a bag of goldfish and left a trail through the whole store. my purse is filled with crushed up goldfish crackers. i love watching the girls together, but being one on one for an afternoon is the best. maddie has gotten to an age where she likes to sit and have a conversation. she asks what everything is and wants nothing more than to tease. and my gosh, she can get out of just about anything when she smiles and says, "oh! i'm sorry" and giggles!

4// she's a character and has the best grumpy faces i've ever seen. i can't remember exactly why she was looking like this, but we see this face often. sometimes it's teasing and sometimes it's scary. usually it's if she thinks someone took one of her miniature frogs or bug animals that she carries around. they're her most special toys...she carries them all throughout the house, pushes them in the stroller and lays each one out on a special pillow with a blanket at night. i've already bought replacements for the ones we've lost, it's a lot of pressure keeping track of all of them!

a little bit of us

1// on our last date night to watch the byu men's volleyball game with friends. we are getting down to decision time for law school. it's been stressful and a little bit of a roller coaster the last few weeks. sometimes we need a fun night to go out and forget about big decisions and changes and all the grown up stuff going on, because i still can't believe we're grown up enough to be making all the decisions!

2// matthew claims buzz is just for the girls...and then this is how i find them at night. he's every bit in love as they are.

3// before our drive to st george...it was one of the few self family portraits that has ever worked out. i love, love, love matthew's smile in this picture!

4// a picture i used for a new streamlined scrapbooking project class i went to with my mom and sister. i am so excited to get working on it!

This was so entertaining! My brother is only 15 months older than me, and once I was walking we were also inseparable. I thoroughly enjoyed having a full time buddy, and most definitely partner-in-crime!

I'm sure your parents have some pretty amazing stories about you and your brother! I love how close they are and how much they play together, but they are definitely partners in crime too! Thanks so much for reading:)